Vending machine for frozen confections



Dec. 20,1938. G. w. KALBsTzER, JR 2,140,587

- VENDING MACHINE FOR FROZEN CNFECTIONS Filed Nov. 18, 1935 2Sheets-Shea?l 1 ATTORNEY,

Patented Dee. 2o, 193ev )UNITED STATES p 2,140,587 PATENT OFFICE vENDlNGMACHINE Fon FnoznN comcnoNs Geol-ge w. nummer, J'r., L. Annie, cam., u-

signor, by mesne assignments, to J. P. Seeburg Corporation, Chicago,lll., a corporation of Illinois Application November 18, 1935,: SerialNo. 50,267

3Claims.

My invention relates generally to vending machines, and lmoreparticularly to coin controlled vendors for dispensing frozen orchilledcommodities such as ice cream coniections.

Anf object of my invention is to provide` a novel vendor of thischaracter wherein solid carbon dioxide or dry ice is utilizedto-maintain the commodity at the proper temperature.

' An object is to provide a-.novel vendor` for cliilled commoditieswhich provides a particuwhereby packages are sequentially dispensed fromseveral stacks, said device independently sealing the several stacks insuch a manner that the insulation orA seal for the idle stack or stacksis not disturbed during vending from the other stack. Another object isto provide a novel dispensing device for vending machines of thischaracter wherein loss of refrigeration during the .vending operation isreduced to a minimum. y,

Another object is to provide in a dispensing device,'a novel storagechamber whereby the packages contained therein are spaced from the sidewalls to facilitate circulation of chilled air therearound. A stillfurther object is to provide a. novel vendor of this class which isparticularly easy to rell'with packages or articles to bedispensed aswell as with the refrigerant. 40 A still further'object is to provide anovel vendor of this-class which incorporates a particularly simple, yeteilective means of maintaining a temperature diilerence between therefrigerant andthe packages to be dispensed. 45 Other objects,advantages and features of invention lmay appear from the accompanyingdrawings, the subjoined detail description, and the appended claims.

.The accompanying drawings illustrate the in- 50 vgition in the form Iat present deem prefer- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of myvendor, indicating generally by dotted lines the arrangement of thestorage chamber and vendy ing gate and the connection of the vendinggate to a coin control apparatus associated therewith. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view thereof on line 2 2, Fig. 1 showing thevending gate and coin control mechanism in plan.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof on line 3 3, Fig. 1showing several packages in position within one of the storagecompartments. Fig. 4 is -another transverse sectional view thereof online 4 4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 2illustrating particularly 'the sealing means provided around the vendinggate which is partially vbroken away to show in elevation the sealingmeans at the end thereof.

Fig. 6 is another enlarged fragmentaryV sectional view on line 6 6, Fig.5, showing particularly in cross-section, the end sealing means for thevending gate.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 1 1, Fig. 4, illustratingparticularly the driving connection between the coin control mechanismand the vendinggate.

My 'vendor comprises an outer shell I, a cen--A trally disposed innershell or storage chamber 2, below which.' is a vending gate 3. Aroundthe vending gate and inner shell and encased byy the outer shell I is ailller of any suitable insulating material I.

The outer shell I is preferably'formed of any suitable material, and maybe of any suitable contour, but is shown rectangular in plan andincludes vertical side walls 5 and a bottom wall 6.

The top of the outer shell is preferably open` and adapted to be closedby a cover 1. The inner shell 2, which likewise may be of any suitablecontour, but is shown rectangular in plan, is centered in the outershell I and is also preferably formed of sheet material. The inner shellis open at its top and bottom. and extends to the top of the insulationmaterial 4 provided between the two shells I and 2. The cover 1 isprovided with a'block of insulation 8 and a gasket 9 which covers andseals the upper end of the inner chamber 2 when the cover is inposition.

The inner shell 2 is divided into two or more compartments I0 by avertically disposed partition II traversing the shorter horizontal Aaxisof the inner shell and is preferably, formed of copper or other goodconducting material. Each compartment II)l conforms 'in cross-section tobut is larger than the package, designated P, that it contains and whichthe device is to dispense. The walls of each compartment, including thedividing partition II, are provided with vertically extending ribs I2which space the packages P in centered relation with the compartmentsIll, and provide circulation areas around the' articles to be dispensedas best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Below the inner shell 2the insulation material I defines a cylindricalgate chamber Il extending horizontally across the several chambers .orcompartments III and includes a port I4 common thereto. Below the gateVchamber Il a discharge chute I5 is defined forming an aperopposite theport I4 which coincides with the lower area of the compartments I0. Thechute I5 slopes downwardly and forwardly to the forward wall of theshell I that is provided with an aperture I6 registering with 'the chuteand an upstanding ledge or ange I6 is provided at the lower and forwardedge of the aperture I6 to prevent the articles being dispensed fromaccidentally falling out of the device.

'Ihe vending gate 3 ts the gate chamber I3.

Said vending gate comprises a cylindrical shell II closed at its endsand provided with package receiving pockets I8, one below and coincidingwith each compartment I0. In the construction disclosed, twocompartments are provided; hence, the vending gate 3 also has twopockets and these are arranged diametrically opposite each other,so'that the vending gate alternately discharges packages from thecompartments I Il. The cylindrical shell I'I of the vending gate 3 ispreferably` of a hard material such as hard rubber or bakelite and theinterior of the vending gate is preferably lled with any suitableinsulation material I9.

The vending gate 3 is mounted on an axially disposed shaft which isjournaled in the ends o f the gate chamber I3. The shaft extends fromthe gate .chamber vI3 into a recess 2| formed in the insulating material4 adjacent one side of the shell I and a ratchet wheel 22 having twoteeth is fixed to shaft 20 within 4recess 2|.

The shaft 20 journals a cogwheel 23 which carries a pair of springdepressed dogs or pawls 24 adapted to engage the teeth of the .ratchetwheel 22 when the cogwheel is -rotated in one direction and to ridethereover when the cogwheel is rotated in the opposite directions. Thecogwheel 23 is driven by a rack -25 which in turn is connected to andoperated by any suitable coin control mechanism 26.

In order to provide an adequate seal between the vending gate 3 and gatechamber I3, the arcuate walls of said chamber between the port I4 anddischarge chute I5 are lined with sealing elements 21 as shown best-inFig. 5. Each sealing element comprises a flexible and resilient baseportion 2'I' provided with horizontally extending ribs 28 which extendaxially along and bear against the periphery of the vending gate 3 andform therewith a. series of dead air spaces 28.

Each end wall of the gate chamber |13 is also provided, as shown in Fig.6, with a sealing plate v 29 of flexible and resilient material having abase portion 29' and ribs 30 extending therefrom which yieldably engagethe ends of the vending gate -3 and form therewith dead air spaces 30'.

The spacing ribs I2 of the compartments, as well as the partition Iltherebetween do not extend to the upper end of the inner shell but stopa short distance therefrom and form supports for a receptacle 32 whichis preferably formed of sheet material and preferably open at its upperend. The bottom of the receptacle 32 is adapted to receive one or morelayers 0r sheets of insulating material 33, such as paper, and is lledwith a refrigerant, such as dryicef or other sublimable substances 34.The insulating material 33 tends to maintain a temperature differencebetween the interior of the receptacle 32 and the compartment below sothat the packages carried therein are not subjected to the extreme lowtemperature of/the refrigerant. By

ture in the gate chamber I3 coextensive with andv varying. the thicknessor number of sheets comprising the insulation material 33 thistemperature difference may be readily controlled.

Operation of my vendor for frozen commodities is as follows: Uponplacing an appropriate stack of articles to be dispensed in thecompartments I0, the cover is positioned and may be securely lockedthereon against removal by un- 'pocket associated with the .othercompartment I0 is caused to move from the dotted to the solid lineposition and receive a package ready f r delivery in response to thenext operation of t e vending gate.

It should be noted that practically no cold air or refrigerant can drainfrom the compartment from which a package is being discharged; while theinsulation of the other compartment is undisturbed. This economizes theuse of a refrigerant and maintains the refrigeration efficiency there'ofat a maximum as the sealing means around the periphery and ends of thevending gate 3 resiliently engage such gate 3 by contact of the ribs 28and 30 therewith, and the dead air spaoces 28' and 30 4tend to preventescape of cold air or inlet of warm air to the compartments I0. Also byrotating the vending gate 3 in one direction and delivering articlesalternately from compartments I0 I reduce to a minimum the escape ofcold air from my vending machine.

I claim:

1. In a vendor; a package storage chamber arranged to receive a stack ofpackages; a cylindrical gate Achamber therebelow; a discharge chutebelow the gate chamber, there being ports connecting the gate chamberwith the storage chamber and discharge chute; a cylindrical vending gaterevolubly mounted in said gate chamber; and meanslining the walls of thegate chamber and including avplurality of yieldable ribs definingtherebetween dead air spaces, and said ribs being engageable with saidvending gate.

2. In a vendor; a package storage chamber arranged to receive a stock ofpackages; a cylindrical gate chamber therebelow; a discharge chute belowthe gate chamber, there being ports connecting the gate chamber with thestorage chamber and discharge chute; a cylindrical vending gaterevolubly mounted in said gate' chamber; means lining the walls of thegate chamber and including a plurality of yieldable ribs definingtherebetween dead air spaces, and said ribs beinglengageable with saidvending gate; and a blanket of insulation material encompassing thestorage chamber, gate chamber and discharge chute. v

3. In a vending machine, a vending gate to dispense articles; and meansassociated with said vending gate to provide a plurality of dead airAspaces around said gate; said means comprising 'a flexible base memberand a'plurality of ilexible ribs extending therefrom into contact withsaid gate.

. GEORGE W. KALBITZER, JR.

